Liverpool could have signed goalkeeper Alisson for just £4m in 2015
Liverpool spent a world record fee on a goalkeeper to bring Alisson to Anfield last week, but, according to the Sunday Mirror they could have signed him for just £4 million in 2015.
The Brazil no.1 joined Liverpool for £67m from Roma in a move which more than doubled the previous record for a goalkeeper.
But the Sunday Mirror report the Reds were offered a deal which would have seen them pay just £3.1m up front, and £900,000 in add-ons to sign the keeper from Brazilian club Internacional in July 2015.
A report said yesterday UKbased intermediaries working on behalf of the player’s agent, Ze Maria Neis, were asked to secure a move for the goalie to England.
Liverpool were one of several Premier League and Championship clubs who were sent a detailed scouting dossier outlining Alisson’s potential.
Alisson reportedly told his advisers that England was his preferred destination. But there were no takers – despite assurances that the player’s German ancestry made him eligible for a European Union passport.
The age-group Brazil international was just three months away from making his senior debut in a World Cup qualifier against Venezuela, and Internacional were keen to cash in on the keeper.
But Liverpool decided to pass on the move and Alisson eventually signed with Serie A club Roma in February 2016 for just £6.7m.
According to the report, the revelation that the decision not to take a punt on Alisson three years ago has cost Liverpool a staggering £63million will shock the club and their fans.
Liverpool have struggled to find a consistent goalkeeper since selling Pepe Reina in 2014, with Simon Mignolet and Lorius Karius both making high-profile errors in their time at Anfield.
Alisson helped Roma reach the UEFA Champions League semifinals last season.